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| Stuart Dykstra and his team at V3 Companies, Ltd. are changing the face of Haiti by finding water in mountainous regions where others thought there was no hope. The team's dedication and on-going efforts have changed the lives of thousands of Haitians. - - - - Now it's your turn - send suggestions, motivational ideas, and comments to share with the Live Smart Community at LiveSmart@thecasualgardener .com. Your comments will be posted at the end of this story. |
| Making American Children Healthier |
| The Organic School Project - making American children healthy! This photo is of Greg Christian, the founder of OSP, educating a group of school children on organic foods and improved nutrition. ∞ (The below write-up is a condensed excerpt from a feature in Shawna Coronado's greening and better health book titled "Gardening Nude". To learn more about the book, please go here: www.thecasualgardener.com/Book.html - Copyright 2008, Shawna Lee Coronado) Greg Christian is a Chicago-based professional chef with more than twenty years of experience who has started a revolution in healthy eating. He currently runs Greg Christian Catering, a firm that is on a mission to nourish with inventive, natural, and organic cuisine that will have an impact on the health of the population and a deep regard for the preservation and protection of our planet. Christian focuses on buying local foods to help curtail unnecessary energy use. His staff prepares foods which are hormone-free and organic – chemical and pesticide free – whenever possible. Christian got tired of the world talking about our and the environment’s health, but not doing anything about it. “I want to see change,” he zealously announces, “I see a lot of people talking, but very few people physically trying to make a difference for their community! It is time to see change and improvement, so I am doing something about it right now! I am making a difference!” Indeed he is. On top of heading one of the only green catering companies in the nation, Christian also founded the Organic School Project (OSP). This project encourages American school-aged children to be more mindful eaters. His not-for-profit organization implemented and evaluated a wellness services model. Beginning with the 2006- 2007 school year, he took this program into schools within the Chicago Public School System which is part of the third largest school district in the nation. OSP is teaching sustainability and mindful green habits at the grassroots level. They are accomplishing what some say is impossible, but Christian and his team persevere. Their model will make the dream of living healthier a reality by teaching children, from the very beginning of their education, what positive, chemical-free, nutrition means and its impact on our planet. The OSP model has three major components: 1) reconnecting children with their food source through organic gardening, 2) teaching children nutrition, mindfulness, and environmental stewardship through a wellness curriculum, and 3) feeding the children more environmentally positive meals through the school system by encouraging made-from-scratch, organic, and natural foods which are sourced locally when seasonably available. For Greg Christian, being part of a community means helping that community become healthier and it is a message he wants everyone to understand. Christian wants to see the OSP program practiced in every school in the nation. He says, “I want to see the world become more mindful. Wouldn’t it be exciting to see every community in the United States band together to grow their own vegetables so we can bring more nutritious food to our children, which is more sustainable and uses less energy to produce? I believe that providing a healthier future for the children in every community should be a top concern for all of us.” (The below write-up is a condensed excerpt from a feature in Shawna Coronado's greening and better health book titled "Gardening Nude". To learn more about the book, please go here: www.thecasualgardener.com/Book.html - Copyright 2008, Shawna Lee Coronado) |
| Greg Christian and the Organic School Project is educating children on proper nutrition, farming, and mindfulness. The Organic School Project is making a difference in the individual lives of children by connecting them to nature and helping them learn that a sustainable world provides healthier food. (Photo credit Eric Hausman) - - - - Now it's your turn - send suggestions, motivational ideas, and comments to share with the Live Smart Community at LiveSmart@thecasualgardener.com. Your comments will be posted at the end of this story. |
| Comment - This is SO cool! Where do I find out more about OSP for my school system? - signed - LeAnn N. Reply - Access information on OSP at www.organicschoolproject.org. Also, you can learn more about Greg's inspirational and tasty all-green catering company at www.gregchristian.com. |
This is where you, the reader, can share and make a big difference for others.
Send suggestions, motivational ideas, and comments to share with the Live Smart
Community at LiveSmart@thecasualgardener.com. Your comments will be posted at the
end of this story and will be anonymous unless you wish otherwise.
Let's see if we can help others make a difference in their communities too!
Send suggestions, motivational ideas, and comments to share with the Live Smart
Community at LiveSmart@thecasualgardener.com. Your comments will be posted at the
end of this story and will be anonymous unless you wish otherwise.
Let's see if we can help others make a difference in their communities too!
| COMMENTS - MAKE A DIFFERENCE |
